Ready Rockaway Hosts 2nd Emergency Summit

By Miriam Rosenberg

Dr. Darrin Pruitt, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Program, who gave a history of his agency, lauded Ready Rockaway’s accomplishments.
In its continuous efforts to prepare Rockaway for any impending disasters, Ready Rockaway hosted its Emergency Preparedness Summit, Part II at the Knights of Columbus last week. The April 22 event was a follow up to last year’s summit.

Ready Rockaway is made up of emergency preparedness professionals and community members whose mission it is to teach those living on the peninsula about emergency preparedness. They were recently awarded a three-year grant with New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Program.

“Ready Rockaway has shown through its determination and accomplishments, so far, that they are deeply invested in the Rockaway community’s emergency readiness needs,” said Darrin Pruitt, PhD and Senior Educator at DOHMH.

Left, Ready Rockaway’s Director of Clinical Operations Saundra Chisolm, Executive Director Zandra Myers and Michael Valentino, co-chair and director of Logistics and Operations observe the proceedings. Myers called bringing people together the organization’s greatest accomplishment over the past year.
The organization’s director of preparedness, Dr. Ed Williams, said that Far Rockaway stakeholders and the community working together would enhance the chances of survival for area residents during a disaster such as the one “that befell the New Orleans community as a result of Hurricane Katrina.” Councilman James Sanders Jr., left, introduces the commissioner for the city’s Office of Emergency Management, Joseph F. Bruno, who spoke about the evacuation plan for the Rockaways. Sanders was an original sponsor of Ready Rockaway. The Civil Air Patrol is among the nation’s first responders. Members of area units, led by Major Robert Taylor (far left), the director of Homeland Security for the patrol’s Northeast Region, attended the summit. Two CAP squadrons are located at Far Rockaway High School. Photos by Miriam Rosenberg